I teach on what my district calls a "shared contract," which means I get 50% of my normal pay and benefits to work 50% of the school year, the other half of which goes to my jobshare partner (also a mom of two). This is my third year doing it, and it...is...awesome. Why?
It makes me a better teacher. Ask any full-time teacher, and they'll tell you that regardless of how many or few students they have, the sheer amount of standards, lesson planning, individual student needs, paperwork, parent contacts to make, special events to plan, assignments and assessments to score, social lessons screaming to be taught, behavior issues to address, and political/administrative pressure to deal with can be completely overwhelming. For me, all of this is cut down--if not literally in half--by the simple fact that I only have to be at school 2-3 days a week. Do I care or think about school any less on those extra days I get to spend at home with the girls? Probably not. But the beauty of those extra 2-3 days off every week is that I have the luxury to ponder and plan and prepare that much more...without 20 sets of expectant eyes on me or a campus full of distractions in my way. I've done more research, tried more new ideas, made more parent contacts, and (I hope) made more of a difference to my students as a part-time teacher than I ever did teaching full-time, because I've got four or five days off between each of my school "weeks." I walk into school most Mondays feeling excited, rested, and prepared rather than exhausted, run-down, and overwhelmed. I love it.
Better yet, it makes me a better mom. For exactly the same reasons, in fact. The old adage about absence making the heart grow fonder absolutely applies to stay-at-home parents...so much so, in fact, that my friend Emily recently became the latest of my friends and online acquaintances to take a solo weekend vacation and re-experience the now foreign concept of "alone time." While I've never spent more than 9 or 10 hours away from the girls, being able to scurry off to work sans diaper bag, in grown-up clothes, blaring MY music, and have real conversations with other adults (while 22 of other people's kids are at recess, at least) is just enough of an escape to make me thrilled to see that Binks and Bug again when I get back home.
And then there are the bonuses. I work on two of Bear's days off, which means he gets two full days a week home with the girls--and he never, ever calls it "babysitting," either! One of the big reasons I think having kids can be so stressful on a marriage is that neither partner knows what it's like to be in the other one's shoes; in our case, we both know that Long Day At Work feeling, that Professional Accomplishment Feeling, that Great Day With the Kids Feeling, AND that Counting the Seconds Until the Spouse Comes Home feeling. I love it that Elliana grins and yells "Da-da?" the instant she hears the garage door open, and that I have pictures like this:
These girls are so close with Bear because of that time they have alone with him every week, and THAT is a gift to all of us.
On Mondays, for the five hours where our shifts overlap, the girls enjoy the many benefits of being at my grandparents' house: hitting the ice cream truck even if it comes before lunchtime, getting impossibly muddy for no real reason, making a gigantic mess everywhere they go, and enjoying the total, complete, 100% attention of someone who's not pausing for housework or phone calls in the middle of playing Restaurant. How many people do you know who can remember wheedling cookies out of their great-grandmother AND their great-great grandmother at least once a week? Keira can...again, how's that for a gift?
Mother's Day is a day to appreciate the mothers and grandmothers in our lives, and we couldn't be more grateful that I get to share the girls with their two amazing grandmas, two wonderful great-grandmas, and one sweet great-great grandma while other people share their kids with me. Sorry, cookie dough and Clooney, but I've definitely got the best job--and best family--of all!
You always have such a positive outlook on life and I think it's great! I was contemplating working half-time too once we settle down to where we'll be permanently...you make it sound so do-able!
ReplyDeleteYes, you definitely have it made. If Phil and I weren't in the same profession and worked the same exact hours, I may have considered job-sharing instead of staying at home. I definitely agree with the idea that you and Bear completely understand what it's like to be in each other's shoes. Phil doesn't completely get that it's not constant fun and playtime when you are a stay-at-home parent (unless you never clean, answer the phone, pay bills, etc, etc) and I am quickly forgetting what it's like to wake up at 6am and head out to work 5 days a week. And the fact that the girls get that alone time with Daddy is priceless!
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